Bottle holder



H. K. POWELL July 9, 1940.

BOTTLE HOLDER Filed May 5, 1938 INYENTOR.

A TTORNEYfi Patented July 9, 194 1) UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOTTLEHOLDER Henry K. Powell, Chicago, 11!. Application May 5, 1938, SerialNo. 206,127 110mm. (01.22949) This invention relates to containers forthe packaging of a plurality of bottles or the like in a fashion such asto permit their being carried conveniently.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of such an articlewhich may be made throughout of inexpensive materials, for the most partof material such as paper board, and which. may be fabricatedveryeconomically so that it may be supplied to the users in quantitiesat a very low price per unit.

Another object is to provide a container of the sort above indicatedwhich may be packaged in flat collapsed condition so that it occupiesbut little space, for storage or for shipment to the user, and may beset up by the user without requiring any special or additional apparatusor fastenings.

Another object is the provision of such a container which will properlyhold its shape in setup condition, will securely retain the bottles orother articles which it is designed to carry, and

will permit them to be removed and put back in it, when desired, andwithout involving any dismantling or mutilation of the container.

Other and further objects of the invention will be pointed out orindicated hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the artupon an understanding of the subject matter of the invention or itsemployment in use.

For purpose of aiding in an explanation of the invention, I show in theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, andhereinafter describe, certain forms in which it may be embodied. It isto be understood, however, that these are presented merely for purposeof illustration and are not to be construed in any fashion for thepurpose of limiting the appended claims short of the true and mostcomprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of bottle holder or bottlecarrier constituting an embodiment of the invention, showing same in itsset-up condition ready for reception of its contents;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the form of the blank from which thearticle shown in Fig. 1 is formed;

Fig. 3 is a detail in the nature of a perspective view of a portion of astay element employed in the construction illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, such as taken on theline H of Fig. 2 but in inverted position;

Fig. 5 is a section such mately line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a. perspective illustration of another embodiment of theinvention, showing it in flat or collapsed condition; 6

Fig. 'I is a sectional view of same such as taken 1 on line 1l of Fig. 6but showing it in abnormal position to which it is flexed for thepurpose of inserting the handle; and

Fig. 8 is a detail in the nature of a fragmentary 10 perspective of acorner portion of a set-upcontainer of the character illustrated in Fig.1 but showing a modified feature. v

An understanding of the invention may be most quickly had from adescription of the illus- 15 as taken on approxitrative embodimentsshown in the drawing.

Fig. 2 illustrates a form of blank which is cut from suitable sheetmaterial, such as paper board, said blank being provided with creaselines a, b and c which subdivide it into a bottom panel 0 l0, side panelH and side panel I2, the latter having an extension comprising a pair ofabutting locking tongues lia, which are formed with hooks at their outerends. The panel I0 is provided with a slot Illa adapted to receive thehook 25 portions of said tongues, when they are overlapped one uponanother to a suflicient extent, but being shorter than the overall oraggregate width of said hook portions, so that they will interengagewith the end portions of said slot 30 when the tongues are in abuttingrelationship with each other after such insertion.

At the ends of the bottom panel Ill are provided end strips H whichextend from crease lines d along the end margins of the bottom 35 panel.

The sidepanels II and I2 are creased transversely' at e and are slitalong the solid lines I to form apertures H (see Fig. l) which arenormally occupied by tabs ii that remain con- Joined with the sidepanels along crease lines 9 parallel with the crestcrease line a uponwhich are formed the handle holes l6.

Applied to one side of the bottom panel across the crease lines d arestay elements H. The 45 type of stay elements here illustrated, and asshown more clearly in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, comprises a strip of suitablesheet metal of suitable strength and stifiness, yet which may be bent toassume the desired form, as to right-angle form 50 along its median linem-m. On either one or both sides of its median line it is provided withpoints or prongs p which may be driven into the paper board and clenchedto a greater or less extent as illustrated in Fig. 4, thus securing thestay element ll against the outer surface of the bottom panel and endstrips so that it extends across the fold crease d.. As seen in Fig. 4,this fold crease preferably is made by displacing a narrow area of thesheet from the plane thereof in the direction away from the side towhich the element I1 is applied.

A suitable handle is provided, that illustrated being formed of a pieceof still wire which is bent to afiord a bail portion I8 which has at itsends inwardly directed journal portions 18a in alignment with eachother. The distance between the outer extremities of' the journalportions la is approximately equal to the spacing of the handle holesl6, and hence the space between the adjacent ends of the journalportions We is considerably less than the distance between said handleholes.

For packaging the containers for storage or shipment to the user, theyare stacked one upon another in the flat form shown in Fig. 2 and madeup into bundles, thus each occupying but a very small space. The handlesare shipped in suitable containers.

For the setting up of the container, it is taken in its fiat form asshown in Fig. 2 and is bowed or arcuately flexed transversely, viz.,around the median line K, until the handle holes [6 are brought closelyenough together to permit the insertion of the ends of the handlejournals l8a through them. When the journals have been so inserted, theflexed blank is released, and springs back to its flat condition,thereby securely looking the handle to it, yet permitting the handle toswing or rock. The end strips l4, together with the portions of the stayelement I! which overlap them, are then flexed into perpendicular orright angular relationship to the bottom panel H], as illustrated inFig. 5. The form of the fold crease d facilitates this bending of thepaper board sheet without fracture of it, and the stay element I1 isadapted to be bent to the proper form by virtue of its ductility.However, it has the proper amount of inherent strength or stiffness torequire the application of considerable pressure to bend it, andconsequently tends to retain its bent form and support or stay the endstrip M in the desired upright position. The blank is then bent on thecrease lines a and e, and then on the crease lines D and c, to arelationship in which the side panels H and [2 are brought intoapproximately perpendicular relationship to the end panel l and alongits opposite side margins, 'and the tongues l2 are flexed inwardlyagainst the under surface of the bottom panel, and then overlapped oneupon the other and inserted through the slot Illa, after which insertionof their hook portions they are restored to their collateral or abuttingrelationship. Thus the side panel I2 is interlocked with the bottompanel l0, so that the container, in its set-up condition, as shown inFig. 1, has sides II and I2 extending upwardly from the bottom l0 andthence in an upwardly converging relationship to the crest line a. Thebottles or other articles are introduced through the lateral apertures Hwhich are afforded by bending the tabs 15 inwardly along the creaselines 9. The device here shown is designed to hold six bottles in tworows of three each. The first two bottles introduced through each of theapertures H are moved to the ends of the apertures, and a third bottleis then inserted between them. When so disposed, the bottles are helddefinitely against falling out of the receptacle, as the upstandingstrips 14, which are held and braced securely by the stay elements II,prevent the bottoms of the bottles from sliding out, while the portionsof the side panels at the ends of the apertures H contact the necks orupper portions of the outer bottles in each row I and prevent theirtoppling outwardly.

. hence continuing to serve as a convenient repository for the emptybottles.

In the modified construction shown in Fi 6, the side panels I! and 12'are left integrally conjoined with the opposite side margins of thebottom panel l0 which has suitable end strips ll along its end margins.The upper end portions of the side panels are overlapped, as shown atl3, and permanently secured to each other by an adhesive so that bothextend across the crest crease line a. The side panels are provided withadditional crease lines Ila and l2a, so disposed that the upper portionsof said panels may be folded down fiat upon the inner or upper surfaceof the bottom panel l0 and the lower portions of said side panels, asillustrated in Fig. 6. To accommodate the introduction of the handleinto the handle holes l6, as above described, the bottom panel isprovided with slots 20, adapted to underlie and align with the handleholes l6 when the container is in the collapsed form and said slots 20are of suflicient length to accommodate passage of the journal portionsIlia of the handle. Consequently, for insertion of the handle, thecollapsed container is bowed or flexed, as illustrated in Fig. '7, thehandle journals inserted through the openings [6 and 20, and then thecontainer is released to resume its normally flat form. Then the sidepanels are flexed upwardly away from the bottom panel to the upright orperpendicular relationship, and the end strips M" are turned up to theirupstanding position. Of course, with this type of collapsible bodyportion, the end strips 14' may be of any of various kinds and var iousarrangements made for holding them in their upstanding position, thestay elements such as 11- lustrated in Fig. 1 being only one of suchvarious arrangements. This modified construction has the variousadvantages above described, but due to the presence of the additionalcreases I la and Ho, does not maintain its straight upstanding form sostaunchly as does the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. To make up for thisdeficiency, and afford the side panels additional support, the staymembers may be extended at the ends of the end strips l4, viz., eitherthe part which overlaps the end strip may be extended as at Ila or thepart which overlaps the bottom panel may be extended as at I'Ib, or bothmay be extended in separated condition, so that they project beyond theouter sides of the side panels when the latter arein upstandingposition. Accordingly, after the panels and end strips are flexed to theupstanding positions, these extending end portions, which are designatedIla in Fig. 8, may be bent into supporting engagement with the outersurfaces of the side panels, as shown in Fig. 8, and in that positionserve to brace or stay the side panels in panels, act as spacers orstays which brace the lower portions of the side panels against bendingtoward each other. In addition to bracing or staying the end strips, thestay elements, when of the character illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,perform the further important function of stiffening the bottom paneltransversely, so as to resist any tendency of it to bow or sag under theweight of the contents.

Certain subject matter herein described or shown but not defined in thefollowing claims is claimed in my co-pending applications Serial No.196,230, filed March '16, 1938, and Serial No.

- 271,827, filed May 5, 1939, both for improvements in Bottle holders.

What I claim is: g

1. A knock-down container for carrying a plurality of bottles or thelike, comprising a sheet of paper board creased to form a bottom paneland side panels adapted to be flexed to upstanding positions at the sidemargins of the bottom panel and end strips adapted to be flexed toupstanding positions at the end margins of the bottom panel. said sidepanels being of greater height than said end strips and being providedat their upper ends with a handle whereby the container may be carried,and stay members attached to the bottom panel for cooperation with theend strips to sustain them in upstanding positions to serve as retainingabutments for bottles resting on the bottom panel.

2. A knock-down container for carrying a plurality of bottles or thelike, comprising a sheet of paper board creased to form a bottom paneland side panels and end strips all in one piece, said side panels andend strips being flexible to upstanding positions at the respective sideand end margins of the bottom panel and the side panels being of greaterheight than the end strips, said side panels being provided at theirupper ends with a handle whereby the container may be carried, and staymembers attached to the bot tom panel and end strips to sustain thelatter in upstanding positions.

3. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein said stay membersinclude portions for cooperation with the side panels to brace themagainst flexing outwardly adjacent the bottom panel.

4. A container as specified in claim 1 and wherein said end strips formspacers between the side panels and said stay members include portionsfor cooperation with the side panels to retain them in abutment with theend strips.

56 5. A container as specLfled in claim 2 and wherein said stay membersare in the form of relatively stiff metal cleats extending across thecrease lines between the bottom panel and end strips and bendable withthe end strips along said crease lines into angular cross-sectionalform.

6. A container as specified in claim 2 and wherein staid stay membersare in the form of relatively stifl metal cleats extending across thecrease lines between the bottom panel and end .strips and bendable withthe end strips along said crease lines into angular cross-sectionalform, said stay members extending also transversely of the bottom paneland serving to stiffen it against flexing.

7. A container as specified in claim 2 and wherein said stay members arein the nature of relatively stiff metal tie strips extending across thecrease lines between the bottom and side panels and secured to thepanels at each side of said crease lines, and the crease lines areformed by narrow portions of the sheet oifset away from the stay membersand the stay members being bendable with the end strips alongsaid'crease lines into angular cross-sectional form.

8. A container for carrying bottles or the like comprising a sheet ofpaper board creased to form a bottom panel and side panels adapted to beflexed to upstanding positions at the side margins of the bottom panel,said side panels being provided at their upper ends with a handlewhereby the container may be carried, and relatively stiff metal staymembersfastened to the bottom panel and adapted to be bent to upstandingpositions at the ends thereof.

9. A containen as specified in claim 8 and wherein said stay membershave end extensions adapted to be bent into engagement with outersurfaces of the side panels to bracetheir lower portions in upstandingpositions.

10. A knock-down container as specified in claim 2 and wherein said sidepanels are provided in their upper portions with apertures through whichbottles may be inserted and withdrawn to and from positions wherein theystand upright on the bottom panel.

11. A knock-down container as specified in claim 2 and wherein said sidepanels have upwardly converging upper portions which are connected toeach other and provided with apertures through which bottles may beinserted and withdrawn to and from positions wherein they stand uprighton the bottom panel while said upper portions remain connected.

HENRY K. POWELL.

